PARIS: French President Francois Hollande Wednesday said he would back the creation of a buffer zone between Syria and Turkey to protect displaced civilians fleeing the bloody Daech offensive.
Talking to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan over phone, Hollande discussed the "alarming situation in northern Syria mainly in Kobani city" which risks falling into the hands of Islamist militants, Xinhua reported.
"(Hollande) stressed the necessity of avoiding massacres in the north of Syria. He gave his support to the idea proposed by President Erdogan to create a buffer zone between Syria and Turkey to host and protect displaced people," a spokesperson from the French president's office said.
Both leaders also agreed on the need to further support the moderate Syrian opposition to combat Islamic State (IS) fighters
As for the situation in Iraq, Hollande and Erdogan reiterated their countries' support of a coalition operation against Daech group and insisted on the integration of the Sunni population to reach a sustainable political alternative to end the crisis in the country.